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Brief history

The Great Hall itself was built in about 1390 as a meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi, a small but powerful group of businessman and gentry. After restoration, the Guildhall was opened to the public as a museum in 1926.

Today, the Guildhall is best known as an excellent performance venue, attracting acts from across the country, and as a museum where visitors can step back in time and come face to face with 'Crankie Gemmie' and 'Emma Smith', two of Leicester's notorious pick-pockets who can be found lurking within the Victorian police cells.

Medieval Leicester Galleries

The Guildhall has been at the heart of Leicester for more than 600 years. To help mark the re-interment of King Richard III, we are launching new permanent displays which celebrate the rich heritage of the building and encourage visitors of all ages to explore life in Leicester in the middle ages.

Through objects, activities and digital technology, walk the streets of Medieval Leicester and uncover a world both familiar and very different to our own.